Illusion of life
by Flame Auror
Summary: Harry leaves behind his career and his love life after feeling overwhelmed about being the savior. He decides to start a new chapter of his life and trouble has already knocked on his door. Voldemort might have been dead but he's left a lot of inspired people. Tracking the new salemers and trying not to fall for someone was not what Harry signed up for.
1. chapter 1

Chapter One: Trouble

"I'm sorry. I couldn't be the one you wanted me to" Harry whispered holding Ginny's hand.

She was out of words and close to tears "How long, Harry? Just tell me how long?"

"What?" Harry asked even though he knew what she meant. He had escaped this question for so long

"When did you fall out of love?" She asked and he bit his lower lip, he didn't want to give her the answer. He didn't want her to know he tried to fall back in love with her but had failed.

"About a year or so" he answered and she just looked away, let go of his hand and stared at the Burrow.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" She looked more disappointed than sad.

"I still care about you, Ginny. I didn't want to hurt you"

"It doesn't matter anyway, Harry" she waved her hand and then glanced at the old newspaper he was clutching.

"How long will you be gone?" She asked. Harry just shrugged

"Goodbye, then" she said as the portkey turned blue.

"Ginny, I'm truly..." His apologies were drowned as he started spinning. He landed on the street and someone jumped out of his way.

He waved his hand away at a man who was staring at him and walked down the brightly lit streets. He glanced at his watch but he didn't know the time in America

He walked up the stairs of the apartment he is supposed to stay in and stopped at 117. Turning the lock, he entered and was immediately hit with dust.

He spent ten minutes cleaning the dusty house. Taking out a suitcase, the size of a toffee, Harry enlarged it and changed into a fresh pair of clothes.

He sighed at the state of his room and decided to go to the bar he had seen while entering the apartment.

It was a grubby looking bar and quite deserted. A girl was behind a muggle newspaper. He took an empty seat a few feet away from her and glanced at the two old men deep in discussion.

"What can I get you?" The waitress asked with a smile and his heart skipped a beat, she was beautiful.

"Uh I'll take a drink" Harry replied lamely and she laughed. "I'll get you a special then"

He felt his wand sticking out of his pocket and he pushed it. He took out the muggle money.

The waitress came back with his drink and leaned against the table seductively.

"So what are you doing tonight, love?" she asked and Harry chugged his drink, even after years,he couldn't handle women. Before he could form an answer, someone banged their fist on the table.

Harry looked up and realized she was the girl behind the newspaper. She looked around 20 and was wearing a plain white shirt and jeans

"He's actually taken, love"

Harry blinked, was he dreaming all this? He felt sure he had a concussion from the portkey or this drink was making him see things.

"Do you know her?" The waitress asked curiously and Harry glanced at the girl who was looking at him meaningfully. She drew something in the air but Harry didn't understand what she meant.

Exasperated, she sat on his lap

"We just had a fight, we're okay now, aren't we baby?" The girl said leaning towards him. Pressing her cheeks against his "She's a salemer, you idiot. Get out of here" she whispered in his ear.

The waitress was still standing there.

Harry remembered Hermione talking something about it, he wished he had listened to her.

"I'll pay for the drink, thanks" Harry said, knowing whatever Salemer was, it was important. The waitress glared at them and she didn't look beautiful anymore, she looked like she was ready to kill.

Harry's hand involuntarily reached for his wand. "Don't" the girl whispered, touching his hand lightly to prevent him from taking out his wand.

"Let's go baby" The girl pulled him outside the bar, Harry glanced back to see the waitress was gone.

"What the hell was that?!" Harry asked when they were out of the bar.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT? Who tries to take a wand out in a muggle bar!!??!"

Harry didn't respond. Several seconds later he murmured "Instinct"

"You're English" she said curiously.

"So what? What's a salemer?"

"Your wand could be seen, you were a target" the girl replied.

"So you're a witch and that's a lot of information you gave me, baby" he said sarcastically stressing the last word.

"I'm Scarlet, Scarlet Winters" she said

"I'm just Harry" he replied hotly.

"Harry, Salemers are a group of bitter squibs, no-maj's and ardent fans of Voldemort and some of Grindelwald who want to expose our community to the Wizarding World"

It was two years since the war and yet his name was being said. Harry left his career and his of life just because he didn't want to be recognized as The Harry Potter and here he was.

Harry was glad that he knew who no-maj's were. Hermione made sure he knew enough about this place and he was glad he listened.

"Voldemort is dead and his supporters are either in Azkaban or leading new lives" Harry replied instead.

"You were present during the war?" She asked curiously and he got uncomfortable

"Yeah I fought in it"

"I'm sorry. It must have been traumatizing for you" she said and Harry stared at the building in front of him

"I stay there, if you want to come over" Harry invited.

Scarlet groaned "Don't tell me you're 117!"

When Harry shrugged she sighed "I'm 118 and I'll tell you the disturbing past of your apartment someday" He saw sadness pass through her face.

They crossed the road in silence and climbed up the stairs.

"Good night" Scarlet said.

Harry's legs jerked beneath him and the keys slipped from his fingers.

Her words sounded so far. He gripped the doorknob and handled himself.

Everything was blurry and his ears were ringing.

He could feel himself being levitated.

 _"Not Harry! Please...have mercy...have mercy..."_

His mother dying, he hadn't heard her voice in years, he wanted to cry, scream.

He could feel her hand on his chin and something pushed against his mouth.

"You'll feel better in a minute" she whispered pouring something down his throat. He stared at the ceiling, the ringing stopped and a sob escaped his mouth.

"It must have been that salemer, she must have put something in your drink. She must have done the same with..." She looked around the room as if taking in the whole thing "the other kidnapped wizards"

Harry felt emotionally weak and didn't take in a word she said. He stared at her eyes, wrinkled in concern, they were black. He wanted to drown in them and never come back to the real world.

"Darn you're cute!" She said suddenly and laughed "Did I say it out loud"

Harry laughed "Pretty much"

She looked around for a while before meeting his eyes.

She smiled and leaned forward to wipe the potion off his chin. He held the back of her head and pulled her close.

They kissed and she tasted like beer.

Wrapping his arms around her, he flipped her, his instinct took over.

She was intense and hot and he felt alive, he wanted this night to never end.

Harry woke up to the sound of traffic. His head was aching. He turned to his side, the bed was empty.

He got up and got dressed hoping she'll pop up suddenly.

Was it a dream? The whole night was blurry in his mind.

He shook his head, making sure he had Shacklebolt's recommendation for his job at MACUSA, he opened the door.

Out of curiosity he knocked on 118 and waited. He hoped Scarlet would open the door. He also hoped MACUSA wouldn't hire him just because he's Harry Potter.

"Oh" the voice said and Scarlet had opened the door. She looked down the stairs and Harry followed her glance

"Hoping you're ex won't come?" He joked but she didn't laugh

She eyed his work robe

"Planning to strip it down like last night?" He joked and she cracked a smile

"We had grief sex, that was it"

"We?" Harry asked curiously.

"Don't let Archie know we had sex. He doesn't appreciate it between neighbors. He's the Magical Ethics professor at Ilvermorny. Old school. He is our downstairs neighbor"

"So you want me to pretend you didn't say 'we'?" Harry said not going off track.

"So you're going to pretend you don't have a surname, just Harry?" She asked and Harry ran his fingers through his hair

"I'll catch you later, I'm late to work" she checked her watch.

"Goodbye" Harry said as she disapparated.

"Wow, you have no idea how to ask a person out" he told himself

A/N: Hey yall. Don't forget to leave reviews. Send love 3


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter.** **My peasant brain does not have the capacity to make up something as beautiful as HP**

Harry stood in apartment 118 for a few more seconds. He then closed the door behind him and apparated, thinking of the MACUSA.

He landed in an alcove, next to the sixty story scraper, the Woolworth building. Smoothing out the crease on his robe, he made his way to the entrance.

Several muggles were walking out of the building in a hurry. No one minded his outfit, maybe because they were used to it.

He saw a wizard stand in front of the door and walk through it.

"My boss is ruining my fucking life" a muggle groaned, frowning at his pager.

Harry looked over his shoulder and then at the owl carved on the entrance. Making sure that no muggle was watching, he waved his wand in front of the owl and whispered the spell.

Harry was startled as the normal door started spinning. He pushed through it.

The revolving door led into a brilliantly lit lobby with a cathedral like ceiling that reached nearly 700 feet.

"What can I do for you?" The man in behind the desk asked. Harry noted the man's name on the badge as Williams.

"I'm Harry Potter. I have an appointment with the head of the auror department?" Harry asked.

Williams checked his registry and nodded.

"I'll have to check your wand" he gestured at Harry's wand.

Harry looked around, a large monument graced the entrance, which paid homage to those who died during the Salem witch trials.

"Here you go, Mr Potter" he returned the wand and handed him a day pass.

He climbed into the lift.

"No! Which part of you're not allowed here, don't you understand?" A nearly balding man shouted, he was wearing a floral robe and Harry glanced sideways.

Another scrawny looking fellow was standing next to him, picking at his shirt nervously, close to tears

"No, listen Marty. There are people missing. You're from a Scourer family. Your dad messed up big time. Maybe later" the balding man said quietly, as if trying to soften the blow.

The auror department arrived and Harry got out quickly, only to note that the balding man got out too.

"Mr Potter" the balding man called out and Harry turned. He felt weird being recognized without introduction.

"I'm Gil Fontaine, the head of Federal Bureau of covert vigilance and no maj obliviation" he said, his eyes finding Harry's scar.

The word vigilance painfully reminded him of Moody. He shook Gil's hand.

"I'm supposed to meet the head of the auror department" Harry asked looking around and Gil smiled sadly

"Well, I'm the temporary head for it" he said leading him towards the cubicles.

There was an awkward silence between them which Harry didn't care enough to fill.

The cubicles were bare and Harry thought he saw a familiar black hair. Before he could think of it, Gil touched Harry shoulder and lead him towards where he thought he saw her disappear into one of those cubicles.

"AURORS!" Gil shouted with an air of authority.

They all came shuffling out of their cubicles and Harry saw her, Scarlet and she raised her eyebrows at him.

Harry's thought about their kiss and couldn't get it out of his head. He could barely hear the words Gil spoke.

"So he'll be leading you" Gil announced and Harry looked up at him. He had no idea about MACUSA, he didn't want to lead. He just wanted to work normally.

"He knows nothing it!" A guy with clear blue eyes stated flatly. Precisely, Harry thought. Though he was slightly offended. He did know whatever Hermione ranted about MACUSA.

"Adam, you'll be giving him the files and keep him updated" Gil addressed the blue eyed guy and nodded at Harry. Adam looked displeased but didn't dare to speak out against Gil and Harry felt the environment rather hostile.

"Your office is the head's one" Gil pointed at it and bid him farewell.

Harry sat in his office for what felt like hours. He wondered if he had misheard Gil and he had to go collect the files.

The room was bare, as if it was cleaned out recently. Harry picked up a photo from the desk. He noticed a few aurors who were present during his introduction were in the picture.

The woman in the picture had her arm around Scarlet, looked radiant, powerful. He presumed she was the former head of the department.

There was a knock

"Come in"

Scarlet walked in with a few files in her hand. He was suddenly glad it wasn't Adam.

"So, Harry Potter" her words were more curious than accusatory.

Harry shrugged as she placed the files on his table and sat opposite to him.

"No one seems to like me very much"

Not that Harry cared, he had tolerated hostility in most of his school years, but this time he was alone. A pang of nostalgia rippled through him as he remembered Ron and Hermione, who were always there for him.

He could remember Ron's red face when Ginny and Harry broke up. His reaction was the most shattering thing about this whole going away concept.

"It's not you, just Harry" she said carefully. Harry turned his attention back to her, his lips twitching .

"It's her" Scarlet gestured towards the picture in his hand.

"So are any one of you going to tell me what exactly is going on? Or are you going to sulk?" he snapped.

Scarlet flinched slightly.

"So if you were Voldemort, how would you show the no-maj's that wizards exist?"

"I'll just stand in front of a huge group of muggles and perform magic" Harry replied.

She had spoken his name out loud, he thought. But then realized, Voldemort didn't affect them as much as he did in Britain.

"But you want to be discreet. Because once you show yourself, you're a target"

"She's missing isn't she?" Harry jerked his head towards the picture.

Scarlet pointed at the woman, who had her arm wrapped around Scarlet

"That's Corren Wullus, head of the auror department. Yes, she went missing during our search for him."

She pointed at a guy on the other side of Scarlet. "Rob, my ex went missing from the bar. I guess he was spiked, like you" she said and Harry nodded noting all the people.

Rob was tall, dark and handsome, reminding him of a Greek god. Harry felt an instant dislike towards him, he looked too good to be true.

"Why were they kidnapped?" Harry enquired.

"Think about what you said,Harry"

Harry mulled over it, he felt like he needed two bottles firewhiskeys.

"Public display" he finally said. "By using Wullus, they are mocking the ministry"

Harry suddenly got up "I want you to find huge muggle gatherings"

"We think it's going to take place on New Year. When the ball drops"

"The what drops, now?" Harry asked taken aback.

"The ball" Scarlet said. "There will be so many people"

"Alright" he muttered. He didn't understand what was interesting about a ball drop.

"So uhm, you like this Rob guy?" Harry asked. He could almost hear Hermione's voice saying he's tactless.

Scarlet turned red. The door was pushed open and Adam rushed in. She looked relieved.

"We have got a lead on Rob" he looked at Harry, as if he's going to ruin their operation.

"Let's go" Harry said before anyone could interfere. He wanted to show them he could lead them well enough.

Sky, her hair dyed blue, was another auror. She tossed what looked like a microphone to him. He placed it in his ear.

He could hear Sky's voice checking the working of the device.

He wondered it was muggle technology because MACUSA shared the building with muggles and it probably worked here.

Sky grabbed their hands and they apparated, landing in a deserted alley.

Harry peeped to see the whole road was deserted. His fingers wrapped around his wand, as he moved forward.

"They're up in the building. Scarlet and I will go up there. You both alert us from here" Adam said. Harry didn't say a thing. This felt unusual. As the auror for the Ministry of Magic, he always led people. Not standing on the sidelines, waiting.

Sky kept looking at Harry.

"Need something?" He asked bluntly.

She looked at him unabashed "Don't mind me, I'm awkward"

"Huh"

"You should start commanding more, you know"

"I barely know anything. I didn't even have the time to catch up"

"Ah. But I think you're holding back"

Harry didn't reply to that. He glanced at the man who was walking towards the road. Sky took out her wand.

The man stopped, scrunched up his face and then sighed walking away as if he had forgotten something he ought to do.

"Weird ass" Sky muttered.

"This is a muggle place, right?" Harry asked for confirmation.

Sky nodded her head in affirmation. Harry looked at the empty building and back at where the muggle man went away.

"Ask them how's it going?" Harry said, almost forgetting he was connected to the others too.

"What's the status, Scar?"

Harry could hear Sky but on the other end, there was no response.

"Let's go" he said dashing towards the building.

Sky came panting behind him.

"What?" she whispered hoarsely. But Harry continued up the stairs.

They came to a deserted room.

"There's a muggle protection around this place. It's a trap!" Harry said as they reached the first landing.

"This is where they were supposed to be" Sky cried looking at the empty room in front of her.

"Specialis revelio" he whispered. Nothing.

Sky cast a spell. Harry pulled her down as it rebounded, hitting the wall behind them.

"What in..." But Sky raised her hand to him to be quiet.

She rummaged through her bag.

"They are on the other side of the room" Sky whispered.

"There is no other side!" He whispered angrily, he was not going to lose two aurors on the first day of his job.

He could see the other side, it was empty. He could imagine Gil's disappointed look when he goes back without two aurors. He had to find them. At any cost or he might as well go back to work at Ministry of Magic.

Sky took out a small ring like device which was glowing. "This breaks shields" she said.

"I could have used spells"

Harry didn't know about shields that created two different dimensions.

"You could. Just keep you wand ready"

Harry looked up, the roof had huge holes in it. He hoped it didn't fall in.

"If they are on the other side, they'd already know we are here"

Sky shrugged with the probability. Throwing the ring in the room, she nodded at Harry.

Her hand shivered as she held her wand, sweat dripping down her neck.

The ring stopped midway in the room, hanging in the air. Then there was a blast and the invisible shield shattered.

Scarlet was standing still and Adam was pointing his wand at her.

"Don't come closer" he shouted.

"Adam! What are you doing?!" Sky shouted.

"I'll kill her if you come closer" Adam shouted at Sky. Harry stared at Scarlet, she suddenly tried to kick Adam and then lost control and was falling. Adam pulled her back and gripped her wrist.

For a moment she gave Harry a pained look and then her eyes were glassy.

"Don't touch her' Adam told himself , letting go of Scarlet. But his wand still pointing at her.

Adam's eyes were glossy too. Lost in watching Scarlet, he forgot about Sky. She had raised her wand towards Harry.

Sky made Harry walk forward forcefully with a spell. He struggled. "Tie everyone up" his mind told him. A liberating sensation passed over him. Why? Another part of him asked.

Harry knew what was happening. He turned to face Sky, cocking his hear, he heard for sounds.

Raising his wand, he knew what to do. Sky just stared at him blankly.

"Expelliarmus" Harry pointed at the roof, spinning suddenly . A wand fell out of the roof. He heard a loud swear and the masked figure disapparated.

They all looked at each other, dazed.

"Imperius". Harry told them picking up the fallen wand.

"Whoever was up there, they were a really powerful wizard. Using the Imperius curse on four people" he muttered examining the wand. It had an intricate design on the handle, it looked like a cat.

"How did you fight it?" Sky asked disgruntled

Harry remembered Moody's lesson and didn't reply. This wasn't as hard as Crouch's imperius spell.

"Expelliarmus, really?" Adam asked glancing at the wand in Harry's hand.

"Habit" Harry muttered.

"You could have caught him!" Adam started.

"Yes. I was wondering why you didn't catch him. You had your wand at your disposal"

Adam glowered at him. "I will have to write a report about this"

Harry noticed Scarlet being awfully quiet. Letting Sky and Adam go forward, he then asked "You're alright?"

"That's Rob's wand" she said. Harry twirled the wand between his fingers.

"What?!" Adam turned back while Sky was standing awkwardly.

He grabbed the wand out of Harry's hand "Yes he had gotten the Wampus designed on his wand"

So that's what it is, a Wampus, Harry thought.

"Do you think it was him?" Scarlet asked looking up at the roof.

Harry felt immense dislike towards this Rob guy. He nodded at Sky and towards the roof.

They both disapparated on the roof.

"Thought so, no one" she said, her blue hair flying in the wind.

"I'm working on this device, like a tracker you know, based on presence" Sky ranted as Harry looked down the roof at where Scarlet was standing.

He was being an idiot, liking someone after one day of meeting them.

"Why are you in the auror department?" Harry asked sitting down.

Sky looked around for any clues.

"I like it here"

He knew it was a lie but he didn't pressurize her.

"You think it'll work?" Harry asked instead. And her face lit up like a child talking about its favorite toy. "Yes I got the idea from no maj's who use dogs. It might sense better and farther than what dogs can do"

Harry smiled at her "Well maybe then, we could catch this masked guy"

Harry's day went normally. Adam had later come to his office and thanked him for saving them. He had then explained everything in detail to him about the Scourers.

"You want to go for a drink?" Adam asked.

"Maybe next time?" Harry said.

"Is Scarlet here?" Harry asked suddenly.

"No she left" Adam replied looking meaningfully at him.

"Where did you get the information about Rob" Harry asked and Adam's expressuon changed.

"It was on my desk. I'll find out"

Harry then walked away.

Harry sat in his bed, he thought about Hogwarts, he missed it very much. He thought he was going for a fresh start but he didn't like this place. He just wanted to go home.

There was a knock at the door. He jumped out of his bed and rushed to open it.

Scarlet gave him a small smile and held up a coffee cup.

She sat on the couch and Harry sat beside her. He could feel that she wanted to say something but was holding back.

"Rob" she said and Harry's stomach felt a twinge.

"I broke up with him because I didn't love him"

Harry's could feel butterflies in his stomach.

That's because you're hungry, he told himself.

"That's why he was in the bar. The day... it's my fault"

Harry put his arm around her awkwardly and his other hand took held hers.

"It's not your fault" he whispered sliding his thumb over her palm. She wasn't crying but Harry held her and she didn't protest.

She placed her head on his shoulder and he patted her hair lightly.

"Teach me" she said suddenly, jumping out of his grip. "Teach me how to fight the imperius curse"

"Okay" he said.

"Don't you dare make me do things to your pleasing" she said. Harry had no intention of that. But now she was giving him ideas.

"I can't make promises" He said and she smirked.

Harry's life might be shit right now but he knew one thing, he was really going to enjoy his lessons with her.

A/N: **Leave some lovely reviews!! Thank you for reading it!**


End file.
